Claeke hendeicks



' (No Model.)

0. HENDRICKS. I

GAR COUPLING.

No. 285,262. P 2ented'Sept.18,1883.

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u PETERS Pham-Umognp'v, Wahinmm. n. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARKE HENDRICKS, OF MODESTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO J. R. FENN, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,262, dated September 18, 1883.

Application filed June 7, 1883. (No model.) I

To all whom it, may concern:

Be it known-that I, CLARKE HENDRICKS, of Modesto, in the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings; and it consists in the combination of a vertical moving guide, to the center of which the coupling-pin is attached, a piv-' oted frame which has its upper ends to catch under the ends of the guide andsupport it in position, a spring for holding the frame in place, and a guiding-plate which is attached to the frame,and which serves to guide the link into the mouth of the draw-head, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic coupling for cars in which the guideplate serves to both guide the link into the head and at the same time operate the guide to which the pin is attached, so that the pin will drop just as the concussion takes place between the draw-heads.

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention complete. Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front View of the head provided with the coupling attachment.

A A represent two draw-heads, in one of which the coupling-link B is permanently fastened, while the other draw-head is provided with the automatic coupling appliances, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The coupling-pin O is secured to the center of the U shaped guide D, which has its lower ends passed through the guides E, which are rigidly secured to the side of the draw-head, and which hold the guide in a vertical position. Pivoted to the side of the draw-head, below the guides, is the frame F, which has its upper ends, G, turned outward, as shown, so as to form supports for the lower ends of the guides. \Vhen the lower ends of the guides rest upon the tops of these turned-out ends G, the guide is held in a raised position and the lower end of the coupling-pin is raised, ready to couple. To the front end of this pivoted frameis attached a guiding-plate, H, which stands at a suitable angle in front of the drawhead to act as a guide to direct the couplinglink directly into its mouth. This guidingplate is attached to the frame in such a manner that when pressed upon by the opposite draw-head it will sink downward any suitable distance, so as to avoid being injured when the cars run together. Secured to the under side of the draw-head is a suitable spring, I, the front ends of which support the frame and the guide-plate in position. WVhen the guidingplate is struck by the opposite draw-head, the spring allows the coupling-plate to sink down ward a suitable distance before it trips the guide D, and then the continued pressure of the draw-head causes the frame to turn upon its pivots sufficiently far to withdraw the ends G from under the lower ends of the guide which supports the coupling-pin, when the guide and pin drop and couple the cars together. This movement of the frame only takes place after the link has entered the drawhead, and hence the pin never-drops prematurely.

Having thus described claim- 1. The combination of the U-shaped guide D, .to which the pin is attached, suitable guides secured to the draw-head, a pivoted frame having its ends formed into supports G for the guide D, and a spring for supporting the frame in position, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the guide D, having the coupling-pin secured thereto, suitable guides, E, secured to the draw-head, the pivoted frame having its ends G turned outward, and forming supports for the guide D, the spring for supporting the frame in position, and the guiding-plate, the plate being adapted to both guide the link into the drawhead and operate the coupling-pin at the same time, substantially as set forth.

my invention, I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in \Vitnesses:

H. E. PERLEY, A. V. PERLEY. 

